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Topic: Tizen OS declared 'dead in the water' (Read 2878 times)

Days after Samsung introduced a Tizen OS-based smartphone, a UK-based analyst declared the operating system a non-starter, despite its backing by a consortium of heavyweights including Intel, Samsung and LG Electronics.

"Is Tizen going anywhere? In a word, no," wrote Andrew Sheehy, chief analyst for Generator Research in an online research report.

To support his view, Sheehy said the OS is five years behind Google's Android and Apple's iOS and has the support of only a small cadre of developers compared to the millions writing applications for Android and iOS. "Watching Tizen's development is like watching a car crash in slow motion," he wrote.

In comments to Computerworld, he added, "As far as a viable alternative to Android, Tizen is dead in the water."

I've been working on the Tizen platform for about 2 or 3 years (IIRC).

There is already a huge amount of work that has gone into Tizen. Samsung even abandoned bada for it. bada itself was a good platform. The API for bada was extremely well written, and far better suited to mobile security than Android.

Samsung is leveraging a lot of different aspects that Apple simply can't. The 800 lb gorilla here is Samsung.

For anyone that has been keeping up even a tiny bit with the semi-conductor industry, IoT (the Internet of Things) is set to blast off very soon. From Freescale and Molex to Samsung and Apple, you'll see a huge explosion in the number of connected devices over the next few years. (BTW - Be afraid. Be very afraid. The kinds of things coming out are nothing short of terrifying. Techdirt will have oodles of material to report on with lots of spill-over for TorrentFreak and JudicialWatch.)

Samsung spent well over $1 million in prize money on an app contest a while back for bada. And they dropped bada. I rather doubt that Tizen will get dropped as easily considering how it's going to be deployed.

That Tizen isn't broadly deployed yet isn't an indication of its demise.

When your watch, TV, and whitegoods (fridge, dishwasher, etc.) are all running Tizen, there will be greater motivation for developers to hop on the Tizen mobile device bandwagon.

Another thing to watch is the automotive OS market. It's extremely closed right now - basically, it's darn close to invitation only, though if you have a great app & business plan, you can submit an application. But the automotive OS market isn't "dead" because some guy writing for Computerworld doesn't think it's going to survive on your phone.

I think it's going to be tough for them. Having a (potentially) superior product, or being backed by a few big players is no guarantee you will have a chance against something that is already out there and works, or even just something cheaper or easier (think of VHS). It sounds like some carriers are backing away from Tizen as well.

If they release a phone that only supports their own appstore (which is probably a large part of what they really want), I think people will likely shy away from it. I don't know anyone who likes the special Samsung appstore on their phones, and the annoying packaged apps that you can't get rid of.

Linux is nothing if not flexible. The open source operating system can be found on phones, servers and PCs throughout and beyond this world.

Now the OS is being manoeuvred to seize pole position in the car. Not only is Google planning to launch its Google Voice-controlled Android Auto in-car system – but this week saw the release of the in-vehicle infotainment system in the Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) stack.

AGL is built on top of Tizen In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) software, a version of the Tizen Linux-based phone OS modified to interact with in-vehicle electronics.

Having a (potentially) superior product, or being backed by a few big players is no guarantee you will have a chance against something that is already out there and works, or even just something cheaper or easier (think of VHS).

This.

Never underestimate the gravity well generated by "good enough."

I forgot who said it (George Ade maybe?), but it still rings true in most manufacturing: "Half a loaf is better than one if there is much else."